West Anglia Taskforce lays out track ahead

Track improvements to rail links between London, Cambridge and Stansted Airport would bring tens of thousands of new homes and jobs, and provide a real boost to economic growth.Government Opportunities

That was the message from the West Anglia Taskforce as they held a meeting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to highlight the weight of demand that is building for two new rail tracks to be added between London and Hertfordshire, and called for more businesses to back their vision.

The Taskforce, which was established as part of the Chancellor and the Mayor’s long term economic plan for London, has seen strong support from business groups and councils in the last year as they build on a case presented by Transport for London (TfL) and the London Stansted Cambridge Consortium (LSCC) to Network Rail in June.

Now the Taskforce, which comprises groups including Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP, South East LEP and Stansted Airport, has highlighted their need for more business support as they outlined how the additional lines would lead to faster journeys, more regular trains and, with Crossrail 2, a more than doubling of current capacity.

The improvement would help support growth and businesses across London, Stansted Airport and Cambridge, and take a first step towards Crossrail 2, the proposed railway linking the south west and north east London. Delivered in the early 2030s, Crossrail 2 could unlock up to 80,000 new homes and more than 45,000 new jobs along this stretch of the line, as it helps to relieve the severe capacity constraints on the approaches to Liverpool Street and Stratford.

Four-tracking of the West Anglia Main Line, combined with and a clear commitment to Crossrail 2, would bring early delivery of around 20,000 homes and 10,000 jobs to the area.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson MP, said:

“We knew substantial investment into the West Anglia Main Line had the potential to unleash growth in London and beyond, and now the Taskforce is proving the real economic impact it will make. Expanding the line can unlock tens of thousands of vital new homes and jobs for our expanding population, and take a huge first step towards the arrival of Crossrail 2. Now we want to see even more businesses from across the region step forward and back our vision for this vital new infrastructure.”

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